Based on the objectives given in [Regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme], this work programme presents the actions to be financed and the budget breakdown for 2021-2022 as indicated in the table below.
Budget lines 2021 (€) 2022 (€)
Budget line 07 06 04: Protect and promote Union values 30 678 133 91 787 552 Budget line 07 06 01: Promote equality and rights 27 324 300 39 860 945 Budget line 07 06 02: Promote citizens’ engagement and
participation in the democratic life of the Union
13 977 154 39 671 295
Budget line 07 06 03: Daphne 19 189 700 29 581 401
TOTAL 91 169 287 200 901 193
Funds committed in the work programme are deployed via grants and procurement and by awarding prizes, in compliance with the rules set out in the Financial Regulation.
Procurement is the acquisition of a service by the Commission from an economic operator23, selected following a 'call for tenders' procedure.
Grants are financial contributions by way of donation by the Commission in order to finance one of the following: (i) an action intended to help achieve an EU policy objective (action grants), or; (ii) the functioning of a body which has an objective forming part of, and supporting, an EU policy (operating grants)24. The award of a grant follows, in general, a call for proposals’ procedure.
Prizes are financial contributions given by the Commission as a reward following a contest.
They promote the achievement of policy objectives of the Union25.
Funding 2021 (€) allocation 2022 (€) allocation
Grants 73 020 135 80.1% 176 571 295 87.9%
Prizes 350 000 0.4% 350 000 0.2%
Procurement 17 149 152 18.8% 23 129 898 11.5%
Other expenditures 650 000 0.7% 850 000 0.4%
TOTAL 91 169 287 100 % 200 901 193 100 %
23 Article 2(49) of the Financial Regulation
24 Article 2(33) and 180(2) of the Financial Regulation
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The implementation of actions will be directly managed by the Commission's Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST), unless specified otherwise. One particular exception is the implementation of actions under the specific objective to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities, which will be managed by the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL).
The Commission delegates powers26 to implement actions in the Citizens’ engagement and participation strand and the Union values strand to the European and Culture, Executive Agency (EACEA)27.
All activities implemented under this work programme must respect and be implemented in line with the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. They must promote and support gender mainstreaming, the mainstreaming of children's rights and the mainstreaming of non-discrimination. The budget allocation per specific objective is presented in the table below.
Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values specific objectives 2021 (€) 2022 (€) 91 169 287 200 901 193
Union values strand 30 678 133 91 787 552
Equality, rights and gender equality strand 27 324 300 39 860 945
Equality and non-discrimination 8 441 300 10 710 000
Gender equality 4 050 000 10 050 000
Combating racism, xenophobia and all forms of intolerance 6 700 000 8 965 000
Rights of the child 2 560 000 3 560 000
Rights of persons with disabilities 2 073 000 2 005 945
EU citizenship rights 2 000 000 2 810 000
Data protection 1 500 000 1 760 000
Citizens’ engagement and participation strand 13 977 15428 39 671 295
European remembrance 4 515 000 7 000 000
Citizens participation - 19 971 295
520
Town-Twinning and Networks of Towns 6 945 135 11 000 000
(European Citizens’ Initiatives) 1 867 019 1 700 000
Daphne 19 189 700 29 581 401
Combating gender-based violence 4 899 400 24 581 401
Combating violence against children and other groups at risk (LGBTIQ persons, persons with disabilities)
815 000 5 000 000 Supporting and protecting all direct and indirect victims of such
violence 13 475 300 -
At present, the countries participating in the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme are EU Member States. Should any non-EU countries conclude an agreement with the EU on
26 Article 69 of the Financial Regulation
27 Implementation by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency is subject to the applicability of the establishment and delegation acts entrusting the agency with the management of the Programme and will only become effective subject to and from the moment of adoption of the Programme’s basic act.
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their participation in the programme, this will be announced in the relevant call for proposals29.
The programme will finance actions with European added value30. This added value, including that of small-scale and national actions, will be assessed in the light of criteria such as: (i) contribution to the consistent implementation of EU law, values and policies, and to increasing public awareness of related rights and benefits; (ii) contribution to the reinforcement of a culture based on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights; (iii) potential to develop mutual trust among Member States and to improve cooperation across borders; (iv) contribution to the development and dissemination of good practices, and; (v) potential to contribute to the creation of minimum standards and solutions addressing challenges across borders or EU-wide.
Activities implemented under this work programme will ensure consistency, complementarity and synergies with funding programmes supporting policy areas with close links to the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme. These include: the Justice programme, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the European Regional Development Fund the Creative Europe programme and Erasmus+, which realise the potential of cultural crossovers in the fields of culture, media, arts, education and creativity; the European Social Fund+ in the fields of employment and the fight against social exclusion, and the Horizon Europe programme in the field of research on democracy, governance, EU values and social and economic transformations.
In the area of external action, complementary programmes include the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument. Coordination within the EU's legal and policy framework on trafficking in human beings under the mandate of the EU Anti-trafficking Coordinator will also be ensured.
2.1. Essential eligibility, selection and award criteria for action grants
The essential eligibility criteria for action grants are specified in the calls for proposals.
Grant applicants and partners must meet the following selection criteria:
(a) applicants and partners must have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity throughout the duration of the grant and to participate in its funding (‘financial capacity’);
(b) applicants and partners must have sufficient operational and professional capacities to implement the activities for which co-funding is requested (‘operational capacity’).
Organisations participating in several projects must have sufficient financial and operational capacity to implement multiple projects.
The verification of financial capacity does not apply to international organisations and public bodies31.
Proposals will be assessed based on the following award criteria:
(a) relevance to the priorities of the call for proposals;
29 Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme on the 'Funding & tender opportunities' portal
30 Recital 25 of [Regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme]
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(b) quality of the proposed action;
(c) impact of the proposed action.
Grants will involve co-financing32. The maximum possible rate of EU co-financing is 90% of the total eligible costs of the action.
All actions are implemented on the legal basis of [Regulation (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme].
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